Plea to halt decision on 295-home green belt plan

Campaigners fighting plans to build 295 homes on green belt land in Bradford want a decision on the proposals to be delayed.

Members of Bradford Council's regulatory and appeals committee are set to approve the scheme at Fleet Lane, Queensbury, on the recommendation of planning officers.

The proposal includes the land, currently a collection of fields bounded by dry stone walls, having its status changed from green to grey belt under new government rules.

The Fleet Lane 300 group have asked for a delay so a number of issues can be examined in more detail, including traffic impact, environmental effect on wildlife, subsidence, healthcare provision and impact on school places.

Judy Wetherell, on behalf of the group, said: "We want the committee to reject the planning application as it stands at this time, and to say that it needs further investigation to say whether this ground is actually suitable for building on or whether it should be left as it is as green belt, and not for development.

"We hope that [they] will step back, for the time being, and reject this application and just wait and see what other areas around Queensbury are better for development."

Out of 1,037 responses to a recent public consultation there were 1,020 objections, as well as comments from the local MP and all three ward councillors opposing the scheme.

In total there were seven comments in support and six general comments, according to a report which will be put before the committee later.

A spokesperson for Barratt Homes said: "Bradford Council has confirmed that the land is grey belt, which must meet specific criteria.

"Our application for 295 new homes in Queensbury will help to meet a severe housing shortage in the area and includes 35% affordable homes, which is 15% above the current Local Policy.

"The development, which would also create green spaces for the community and deliver an improvement in biodiversity, has been recommended for approval at the Planning Committee on 12 March.

"To ensure that residents are safe from ball strikes, we plan to put up netting in line with the ball strike assessment."

An objection by Sport England highlighted the risk of residents of the new housing estate being struck by cricket balls from the nearby Queensbury Cricket Club.

Building work can only go ahead if the land is reclassified as grey belt by Bradford Council using new legislation introduced by the government in 2024.

As part of this are the "Golden Rules" that have to be met by the developer to warrant the land's status being altered.

When the policy was introduced in 2024 a "brownfield-first" approach was recommended for councils.

But it was hoped the legislation would also create a new class of "grey belt" land for low-quality, green belt areas.

A council spokesperson said the designation of the Fleet Lane site was green belt in the Local Plan, a long-term document created by councils that sets out planning policies and land-use strategies for the next 15 to 20 years.

The developer has applied, in its planning application, to have its proposal considered as grey belt and the public consultation for the application was part of the process.

The spokesperson said previously that local planning authorities were "required to take the [new] policy and guidance into account" when assessing planning applications "along with all other relevant planning policies and other material planning considerations".

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